Editor’s note: This story by Claire Potter originally appeared in the Valley News on Feb. 20.
WINDSOR — Four Upper Valley towns are banding together to promote solar installations ahead of a step-down in federal incentives.
“A few people have it (solar), but most people here aren’t familiar,” said Diane Foulds, who serves on the unofficial Windsor Energy committee. “… I want them to know they still have a chance to get this high incentive.”
The 26% federal tax credit will decrease to 22% in 2023, before dropping to zero in 2024. Unless it is renewed, home and business owners will have to wait longer to see a return on their investment in solar.
The Solarize 2022 campaign started as an idea at the Cornish Energy Committee in New Hampshire. The town committed to a 100% renewable energy goal by 2050. Soon, Windsor, Hartland and Plainfield, New Hampshire, joined in.
The collaboration just made sense to Foulds — “we can almost look at each other right across the river,” she said.
Six solar providers — Solaflect Energy, Catamount Solar, Same Sun of VT, SunCommon, Green Mountain Solar and Granite State Solar — are participating in the campaign. Solarize 2022 is free marketing for the companies, and in return they have committed to completing the projects by December 2022 so that customers who sign on through the campaign benefit from the full tax incentive. Residents will also benefit from the guidance of their local energy committees.
The organizers of the Solarize 2022 campaign ask that residents request a site visit from one or more of the companies by March 31. Foulds emphasized that there is no penalty for backing out. She would help residents in Windsor apply for financing, she said.
The companies will present to residents at a virtual launch event on Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. Members of the energy committees will also be there to offer advice. And there will be at least 45 minutes for residents’ questions, said Joanna Sharf, who chairs the Cornish Energy Committee.
In Cornish, about 50 homes have solar photovoltaic arrays, and one or two keep installing some each year, Sharf said.
“We try to give a realistic expectation,” she said. “I’d be happy if we got 10 more homes with solar in Cornish. I hope we can get more than that.”
Completing projects on a timeline can be difficult amid labor and supply chain disruptions. Green Mountain Solar, based in South Burlington, has seen a slowdown in deliveries and shipments — especially for batteries, said Jane Stromberg, an outreach coordinator with the company.
“We know that it’s no one’s fault. It’s the way the world is right now,” she said. The company has been able to retain “really good talent” as it stayed busy with installations throughout the pandemic, she added.
This will be the third “solarize” campaign in Cornish. Sharf said the people’s top concern is usually cost. All of the participating installers offer financing options.
And Sharf has seen rapid improvements in solar technologies. She first installed panels on her property in 2016 and added more in 2018. In just two years, the panels’ efficiency had notably improved.
The cost of the panels themselves is falling, said Phil Parrish, a residential salesman at Catamount Solar in Randolph. That has helped offset reduced net-metering rates in the state of Vermont, he added.
In the meantime, Foulds does not expect any decreased incentives to stop a shift to renewable energy.
“Prices are going down, and demand is going up. And in fact, fossil fuel doesn’t have a prayer,” she said. “… It will be market-driven.”
The campaign will also bring momentum to the fledgling energy committee in Windsor. The Windsor Selectboard established the Winsor Energy & Sustainability Committee last year. Foulds and Jennifer Freeman, another Windsor resident, volunteered, but the committee needs one more resident to sign on to be official.
To learn more about the campaign or register for the launch event, visit tinyurl.com/SOLARIZE-2022.